Merry Christmas Darling
by scarlett2112
Summary: Leaving Elena to prepare for their family Christmas, Damon kisses her goodbye to go to work. Before the day ends, they unexpectedly find themselves back to where it all began. *I Can't Escape Myself* story-verse.


**_We first met this Damon and Elena when they were 16 and 17 years old in 'I Can't Escape Myself'. Damon became psychotic post traumatic head injury. Elena fights every step of the way to bring him back to her._**

 ** _From there we followed them through the birth of their triplets, Halloween with Mellie, Meningitis, Mellie's first date, her wedding and Flynn's arrival. This will be the last dip into their lives. We hope you'll enjoy their goodbye._**

* * *

Yawning, Elena pours herself another cup of coffee and after taking a sip, she grabs a whisk to prepare the eggs for breakfast. At the same time she feels a hot breath behind her ear, his arms wrap around her from behind. When his lips touch that sensitive spot beneath her ear, she giggles.

"Morning," he mumbles, turning her so he can plant a kiss on her always delectable lips.

"I would think you'd still be a little worn out from last night, tiger," she raises an eyebrow playfully.

 _He hisses through clenched teeth hiss when her hand grips him, pumping it in time with her hips that are grinding against his leg. With a wink, Elena flips them over, guiding Damon's erection to her entrance. His hips sink down as her buck up, joining them together, both gasping at how exquisite it always feels. Slow, measured strokes soon give way to the frantic slap of hips and skin, as Damon drives into her, his grunts drowning out everything else till he whispers, "Come for me". She hurtles over the edge, crying out his name, and dragging him along with her into Nirvana._

"Never!" He gives her a wink and pinches her ass before stepping away to get himself a cup of coffee.

Before she can pretend to be scandalized, Flynn walks in, rubbing his eyes.

"M' up," he mumbles, barely coherent.

"What are you doing up already champ?" Damon asks, taking a swallow from his mug.

"You said I could go to work with you today." Pulling a chair out, their 10 year old son sits down. The moment he slides into his chair, Elena sets an enormous platter of food in front of him. Eggs, ham, hash brown potatoes awaken his senses. His mom pours him a glass of orange juice then sits down to eat with her boys. Taking a forkful of eggs, she smiles watching them dig into their food. In the years since Flynn's surprise arrival, she's written a series of children's adventure books. The heroines are an intrepid archeologist and her best friend who solve mysteries. She's been on a couple of book tours while Damon stayed home with Flynn. Mellie and Walker live in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and are expecting their first baby. Zack and Lily are in college, she's studying to be a pathologist while he's studying veterinary medicine. Although both are dating steadily, they're still single. Emma got married two years ago to her college boyfriend, Matt. She was a business major in college, working at St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings.

Sometimes she misses having a house full of their kids but there's something to be said about solitude too. Flynn however keeps them on their toes, keeps them young really. She's very proud of the young man he's growing into as is his father. He looks a lot like Damon but his personality is more sedate like hers.

"Mmm, breakfast of champions," he interrupts, reaching for some more hash browns.

"It's delicious," Damon adds, air kissing her. He takes the last sip of his coffee then stands to wash up so he can go to work. Looking in the mirror, he scowls at the touch of gray on his temples. At 46, he's still a stud if Elena is to be believed. He works out regularly with weights and kick boxing. Sometimes they go to the gym together. He still talks to Brady occasionally, he's a nurse now, still working at the state hospital. Dr. Elijah and his wife Eva moved away a few years ago settling in Galveston, Texas. Their parents still live nearby and visit often, all the bad feelings from the past long since forgotten.

Stefan and Caroline live in North Dakota, he works in the oil fields. Unable to have their own children, they adopted two toddlers not long after Flynn arrived. John and Emily are fourteen, Damon's never seen his brother so happy. Katherine and Nik still live in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. They visit when they can. His parents are spending Christmas with them this year. Uncle Zach and Jenna still live in Polson. Their sons Zane and Scott are in the architectural business in partnership with their dad. Their daughter Mary Grace is in high school. Kol lives in Orlando, Florida, he works as an engineer at Walt Disney World while his wife Davina is the head chef in the Café Orleans. Rebekah and her husband live in Harden, Montana. Her husband, also an employee of the National Park Service, works at Little Bighorn National Monument.

After spraying on some deodorant, Damon walks back into the kitchen just as Flynn swallows down what's left of his orange juice.

"You ready to go buddy?"

"Yep," he jumps up, kisses Elena on the cheek and grabs his jacket from the coat rack. Damon laughs, slips into his jacket, kisses his gorgeous wife one more time and then follows his son outside. Elena watches them drive away then starts cleaning off the table so she can wash the dishes and do some housework.

* * *

"That's wonderful news, sweetheart. Give Walker my love and we'll see you soon. Bye now." Smiling she hangs up the phone. Mellie called to tell her about their doctor visit. She's so excited to be a mom and she herself about being a grandma. Damon is pretty excited himself but she knows there's a tiny part of him that feels a bit melancholy at the thought of his little girl becoming a mommy.

Mellie and Walker have been married ten years, blissfully so. They put off having children so they could get established in their careers. They now own a beautiful home and are in the process of decorating the nursery. She, Damon and Flynn drove to see them when he had a week off last June. They spent it site seeing around the area while Damon, Flynn and Walker did some fishing and horseback riding.

Returning to her task at hand, she resumes writing out her Christmas cards. She's also been making a list of cookies and candies she wants to make. Her mom is going to come over and help her make homemade toffee and caramels. There's spritz cookies, snickerdoodles, gingerbread men and frosted sugar cookies. They have a twenty five pound turkey in the freezer, they'll also have ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, homemade bread and butter along with some salads and desserts. When she licks the last envelope and puts a stamp on it, she sets them aside to look over her notes for her next book. She wants to start a new series, this time she's thinking maybe an astute medical examiner.

When their dog Keira ambles in, plopping down at her side, Elena ruffles her head. "I could use a break too. Let's go for a walk." As soon as she slips on her boots and coat, she leashes the dog and they go outside. Their log home sits on two acres. They love the privacy and seclusion but they're close enough to Columbia Falls to go in for groceries, town and school events. Usually Flynn rides the school bus but he's on Christmas break now.

With Keira leading the way, they walk into the backyard that faces the forest. Gazing at the winter trees it's hard to imagine them re-clothed in their spring finery. With roots buried deep in the frozen earth they sleep, their twigs moving in the breeze, stirring their wintry dreams. Ice forms and melts, snow showers come and go; then each spring the first delicate blossoms and leaves send a frisson of joy through their property. Snow hugs the house like a day old baby, new and clingy. It's like their path has been put to bed, hushed under nature's frigid eider-down.

Breath pale against the numbing air, she blinks thoughtfully as the frigid air patiently kisses her face. She adores the snow. Her breath rises before her, puffs of moisture from her lungs and she thinks of how she doesn't really notice her breathing in the warmer seasons. Then as the steely clouds make good on their promise and begin to lightly drop a few flakes, her heart leaps. Now she can think of her children returning for the holiday, warm socks and thick soup. Tonight she'll have Damon build a fire and they can relax with a book and hot drink, then share a lavender bath.

Feeling a tug, she has to hold tight when Keira barks and makes a lunge for a rabbit. "Woah, girl," Elena laughs, watching the bunny disappear into the woods. After a good half hour's walk, they go back inside. Elena heats some water for tea and some leftover soup for lunch then returns to her study to look at her email. Taking a swallow of her tea, she leans back in her chair and looks around. On the wall are pictures of their family. Mellie and Walker on their wedding day holding baby Flynn. Emma and Matt are there too, holding their cats. Zach, Damon and Flynn are in another one, laying in the grass after a football game. There's yet another of their three daughters. Looking out the window, she gets up to pull the curtain aside to let in a little warmth from the sun.

She has so much to do, get the kids room's ready, put the warm sheets on their beds. Luckily they have room for their kids. Mellie and Walker will be spending Christmas eve with his family. It makes her feel a little melancholy but it is what it is. She and Damon will have them Christmas day. When they're all present, they'll open their presents. She, Damon and Flynn found the perfect tree. He chopped it down and then the three of them decorated it.

Walking back over to her desk, she trips on Flynn's shoe. Shaking her head she smiles and picks it up. Many times when she's buried in her work, he'll come in with his tablet and chill with her while Damon's at work. Their boy was the biggest surprise but she wouldn't change it for anything in the world. He's been such a joy to her and Damon.

Just as she's about to sit back down to start typing herself some notes, she hears Flynn screaming incoherently. Concerned, she jumps out of her chair to find out what all the commotion is about.

As soon as he sees his mother, he runs into her arms, hugging her. "Flynn, what happened? Where's your dad?"

* * *

During the winter months, National and State Park rangers still have a lot to do once the busy summer tourist season winds down. From maintaining trails, to building winter-specific boundaries, area patrol responsibilities, general emergencies, and more…generally with more limited staff than the summer, the guys really work hard to make sure the public can have fun and be safe while enjoying the parks all winter long.

Damon drives the snow cat to one of the trails at Glacier National Park to clear it. There's some downed trees after a heavy blizzard went through a couple weeks ago. Finally they've been able to get the equipment up there. With Flynn beside him, he maneuvers the machine to clear the way.

"Some of your mom's homemade chicken noodle soup will sure taste good tonight," Damon mentions, lifting his sunglasses a moment to wipe something out of his eye.

"I like the homemade bread better."

"I don't know if I can argue about that," he laughs, slowing the vehicle down when he sees a rather large tree limb blocking the way. Pulling it to a stop, he and Flynn get out to try to move the log. They each take an end with Damon planting his feet on a slope. When they start to move, he finds a patch of ice, loses his balance and starts tumble backwards down the mountain. Flynn stares horrified as his dad helplessly tries to stop the forward motion of his body.

"Dad!" he screams when he sees him hit a tree. He yells repeatedly but is only met with deafening silence.

Scared to death, eyes wide, breaths ragged and harsh, he runs back to the snow cat and grabs at the satellite phone. His hands tremble and he jams his fist into his mouth to stifle the scream. He wants to cry but he can't. He tries to dial but can't get it to work. "C'mon, c'mon work," he screams at the phone. His lips are quivering as he tries to remember how his dad does it. Jumping out, he looks down the mountain at his still unmoving dad.

"Dad, dad," he yells as loud as he can, hoping he'll get some kind of response. In the grip of silent panic, wild eyes, pupils dilated, heart racing, brain on fire, synapses firing like a hyped up internal aurora borealis, he runs back to the vehicle and picks up the phone again. Despite the cold, sweat starts to form all over his body and his heart feels like it's going to explode. With the phone in hand, he runs back to Damon. One moment, Flynn's rushing forward, eyes on the slope where his dad is laying, the next he's flying in a superman pose. His left foot should have extended to take his weight, instead it caught on a tree branch. He hits the snow sending a plume of it skyward. It takes him a minute to get to his feet and now more desperate then ever, he tries the sat phone again, this time he gets through. Barely able to speak in his agitated state, he somehow manages to tell the operator where they are.

"Stay with me on the phone, Flynn. I'm sending help."

"I'm scared."

"I know you are, they're on their way right now."

"Hurry," he blurts out fearfully, unable to take his eyes off the prone figure of his father.

With the woman on the line, he paces in the snow as he waits for help.

Although it seems like forever, it really doesn't take long for assistance to arrive. Men with a gurney climb down to where Damon is. After fitting him with a cervical collar, they put him in the basket and start to bring him back up the mountain where a helicopter is waiting to transfer him to the hospital. Flynn rides back to the office with his dad's boss. After unsuccessfully trying to reach Elena, the authorities arrive with Sheriff Lockwood, who just by happenstance was in the park office when word of the accident came in, on hand to take the boy home.

"My dad," Flynn cries, running into his arms when he sees Tyler. He's a family friend since he and Elena struck up a friendship years ago when Damon was hospitalized. "Where is he?"

"They took him to the hospital. Let's go get your mom and then I'll take you there, okay?"

He nods and crawls into the squad car. Tyler, having seen a glimpse of Damon's bloodied face and obviously broken leg, knows it's bad. As soon as he gets in, he backs out of the parking lot and drives as fast as he can to his friend Elena.

* * *

"He... he... he's," the boy screams hysterically and Elena can't make out a word he's saying. Hearing a noise she looks up and her mouth drops when she sees Sheriff Lockwood.

"Tyler, what's going on?"

"It's Damon, he's had an accident. I brought Flynn home and I'll take you to the hospital."

"Accident? What kind of an accident? Is he alright?"

"He slipped Elena, tumbled down the mountain and hit a tree. All I can tell you for sure is that a leg is broken and that he was unconscious."

In shock and not wanting to believe his words, she shakes her head back and forth and holds Flynn even closer. "No, no, it's not true, it can't be."

"I'm sorry Elena but you need to get to the hospital. Get your things."

Swallowing thickly, she reluctantly nods, slips into her coat, drops her phone into her bag, takes Flynn's hand and follows Tyler outside. He holds the door open and she slides in, Flynn climbing in the backseat. Once they're buckled in, he turns on the siren and speeds towards the hospital.

* * *

The hospital room is as devoid of beauty as she is of hope right now. Damon's in surgery to evacuate an epidural hematoma. Dr. Maxfield the neurosurgeon told her it wasn't huge but it was growing and they needed to take care of it. The plan is to stabilize his leg for now but he'll need to return once his neurological status has improved.

The walls are simply a cream color, not peeling or dirty, just cream. There are generic paintings on the walls, likely bought at a warehouse for such things. Elena's trying to keep her composure for the sake of her son but inside, she's close to panic. This is all too familiar to her...

 _"I miss you, Damon. I haven't seen you since the accident."_

 _"What are you talking about? I haven't been in any car accidents."_

 _"Yes, you were. Your car slammed into the Wickery Bridge, launching you into the water below."_

 _"Why are you saying that?" he screams, fisting his hands in his hair. While pulling on it, he starts to rock his body back and forth._

 _"Do you know who I am Damon?"_

 _"No, no," he yells, a look of stark terror washing over his face. Flying out of his seat, he gives a chair a hard shove, sending it crashing against the cement of the patio floor. With his chest heaving wildly and his nostrils flaring, he runs away leaving a shocked and confused Elena behind._

"Mom, is dad gonna be okay?" Flynn interrupts, returning her to the present.

"I hope so, sweetheart." She wants to assure him that everything will be okay but she can't lie to him.

"I'm scared."

"I am too but we have to be strong for daddy." Digging into her purse, she pulls our her I pad. "Why don't you watch a movie or something. It'll probably be a little while before we hear anything."

"Mom..."

Elena smiles, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to pull him close and kiss his temple. After handing him a pair of earbuds, she gets up to pour herself yet another cup of coffee. She's talked to all of her children already. Today was the last day of school till the new year so Zach and Lily are driving home. Mellie was crying so hard that Elena couldn't understand a word she was trying to say so she talked to Walker. Because they're under a blizzard warning, she made her son in law promise not to leave until the weather cleared up.

Looking over her shoulder at Flynn, she crumples up her coffee cup and steps out of the waiting room. Walking down the hall, she stops in front of the big bank of floor to ceiling windows that looks out over the parking lot and the mountains beyond. Dropping her eyes, she's almost brought to tears when she sees Jenna and Zach walking towards the entrance. Moments later they're in the hall and she hurries to meet them, falling into Zach's arms like she did all those years ago. She lets him hold her for a few seconds before stepping back and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Do you know anything?"

"No, he's in surgery. I'm terrified but Flynn is scared to death and I don't want him to see me afraid too."

"Where is he?"

"In the waiting room, we better get back there." With Jenna holding her hand, they go back, Flynn looking up when she returns. He pulls the earbuds out when Zach sits down beside him.

"Hey champ, how would you like to tag along to get something to eat?"

"Can I mom?"

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry I didn't ask you."

"It's okay," he says, handing the I pad back to her. Just as he and Zach are about to walk away, the doctor appears in the doorway. The receptionist points them to a small room for privacy.

"How is he?"

"He tolerated surgery well. The clot wasn't huge but we did need to cauterize a vessel. I'm going to keep him in a medically induced coma overnight and depending on how he is, we'll start to wean him off the drugs tomorrow. Dr. Bennett stabilized his leg fracture, he'll need to return to surgery once he's medically stable."

"Can I see him?"

"He's still in recovery but once he's moved to the ICU, you can see him."

Feeling her knees weaken, she squeezes Jenna's hand and thanks the doctor, watching as he leaves the room. "I can't do this again, Jenna, I can't."

"Hey, hey, let's not cross that bridge till we come to it."

"I can't lose him."

"You won't," Jenna takes her into her arms and holds her tight while Elena's tears finally fall.

* * *

When she reaches the door, brown and dull like all the others, she can see him inside. "Here we are," the nurse smiles kindly and opens the door wider, allowing Elena to enter. Another respiratory therapist is standing in front of his ventilator, looking at the settings. He's pale and still, his chest rising and falling with each whoosh of the machine that's breathing for him.

The man adjusts something on his mouth piece, looks at Elena and then leaves her alone with him. Taking his hand in hers, she brings it to her lips, kissing each of his fingertips. "I love you, Damon. I never dreamed I'd find myself here again...," she pauses to wipe the tears that begin to leak from her eyes. Leaning forward, she presses a kiss to his cheek and brushes a strand of hair off his forehead.

Although she knew there wouldn't be one, not after the doctor told her that he was in a medically induced coma, she still feels a bit of a stomach twist when there isn't any response from him. Tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes so she leaves the room to get a box of Kleenex from the nurse. As soon as she returns, she drags a chair over and sits down beside him, once again linking his fingers with her.

 _It's going to be a very long night._

* * *

 _Eyes raw and blind, a warmth weighs on his chest, his lungs feel buttery soft, inflating effortlessly._

 _"Damon, stay," he hears from somewhere far away._

 _Without the reins, without direction, he is a ghost. But her voice is silver, a flame of white and frost. He leaves his body to follow, leaving the lifeless coarse flesh behind but something is snagged. A searing pain grips his throat, ripping him from the light he so desperately craves and wrenches him back into the distortion of an eternal night. A lifeline is not to be toiled with. Soul is bound to body as long as the person is alive. He could only listen to the mournful cry. Now the leash is growing tighter, stricter, dragging him toward a light that is just a blank space behind his eyes..._

* * *

She wakes suddenly, every thought in high definition. Her eyes take in every ray of light and without a doubt she knows she's slept too long. The hospital noises are in full swing, foot traffic heavy, shoes tapping down the linoleum floors. Before she's fully aware of everything, she feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Mrs. Salvatore, we need you to step out for a little bit while we bathe him."

Shaking out the cobwebs, Elena runs her hand through her hair, letting her eyes land on her still sleeping husband. He's so peaceful looking, his salt and pepper stubble matches the greying at his temples. Her man is still as handsome as the day she first laid eyes on him... When her emotions begin to bombard her, she stands up, takes Damon's hand in her own and leans in to press her lips to the side of his mouth. Trailing them to his ear, she whispers that she'll be back soon. With a nod to the nurse, she picks up her purse and walks out of his room, pulling the door closed behind her.

In dire need of coffee, she considers going downstairs to the cafeteria, changing her mind when the elevator dings, thinking she should check the waiting room first. Seeing only Uncle Zach, she's immediately concerned.

"Zach, where is everyone?"

"Lily and Zach arrived, they took Flynn home so he could sleep. Jenna stayed at the house but left so she'd be home when Mary Grace got back from her overnight. They'll be back a little later."

"You guys should have come to get me. It's my job to take care of my children." Feeling her chin start to quiver, she drops it to her chest.

Laying his hands on her shoulders, Zach leads her to one of the seats. Sitting next to her, he tilts his head in understanding. "Elena, it's okay, you needed to be with Damon and besides that, they didn't want to wake you."

"I know you're right but I hate this."

"I do too. I could use a cup of coffee and I suspect you could too. Come, I'll buy you breakfast."

"Indeed I could. Thanks Uncle Zach."

"I'll always be here for you and Damon, you know that."

"I do." She forces a smile and walks with him down the hall and into the elevator.

* * *

Upon Zach's insistence, he drove her home to take a short nap, shower and change clothes. Although exhausted, Elena hugged her children and spent an hour visiting with them before her fatigue got the best of her.

Just as they're stepping outside to return to the hospital, Mellie and Walker pull into the driveway. Elena runs over to the car and takes Mellie in her arms, no longer able to hold back her tears. "Mom, it'll be okay. Dad won't forget you again."

"The rational side of me wants to believe that but it's happened before..."

"Mom, he won't forget you again. I promise."

"You can't make a promise like that."

"Believe me, please. I know he won't, I don't know why but somehow I just know."

Pressing her hand on her daughter's cheek, she forces a smile. "We have to be prepared, brain surgery is tricky, not just the memory aspect, but your dad was critically injured."

"Mom, I just have to believe that he's going to be okay, anything less is simply beyond comprehension."

Elena nods, her eyes drifting to Zach who's waiting to take her back to the hospital. As soon as Mellie sees him, she screams excitedly and runs to him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a big hug.

"Well hello to you too," he laughs, leaning forward to hug her back. "You're so petite with that big belly. How you doing?"

"It's good to see you uncle Zach and the baby is good. I'm loving pregnancy, we're due in 3 weeks but I told my doctor I wasn't staying home."

"I suppose you gave him an earful?"

"I did, yes," she laughs. "After going through this, I admire my mom so much, I don't know how she ever carried triplets."

"I don't either, Mellie," he starts to wave at her husband.

"Zach," Walker shakes his hand.

"Listen, I'm going to get your mom back to the hospital. They're supposed to be waking Damon up. We'll give you a call as soon as we know something."

"We'll come to the hospital after we get cleaned up and stuff."

"Alright, Mel." Zach nods and opens the door for Elena.

"Bye mom," Mellie waves and watches them drive away.

* * *

As soon as they step through the hospital's sliding glass doors, Elena practically flies to Damon's room. At the same time she puts her hand on the handle, a nurse stops her, cautioning to wait a few minutes while the doctor finishes with him. Minutes pass like hours till finally she's allowed to see her husband.

She steps inside, an audible gasp leaving her lips when she sees him. His eyes are the ocean, so full of life yet so uncertain. Their blue-green hue carries his emotional currents, and before she can take a breath, she is drowning in them.

Damon's hardly awake but is looking at her, she rushes to him and squeezes his hand. With a puzzled look on his face, Damon considers her as his eyes dart from hers to where her hand is resting on his. "Do I know you?" he asks in a raspy voice.

Immediately Elena's head starts to spin. _This isn't happening - this can't be happening..._

With panic building on the inside, she tries to maintain her composure. She takes a deep breath, giving him what she hopes is a reassuring smile. "You had an accident at work, you tumbled down a cliff and hit a tree. You're going to be alright though." She has to reassure herself along with him. _He's going to be okay, he'll remember, he has to._ It's her mantra and she has to hold onto it.

As if she knew this would happen, Fate isn't done playing tricks with them yet.

How will she ever survive it again? What if there is no light at the end of the tunnel this time?

How will she ever explain this to Flynn? He's so young yet, he needs his dad. They all need Damon...

She suppresses a sob and by the sheer force of will keeps her traitorous tears at bay. She turns to him again but it only makes it harder to keep her panic from burning out of control. Still, she can't take her eyes off of him. He looks troubled. His eyes are closed again, he seems to be having a little difficulty breathing and his hand is lying limp in hers. She hopes he isn't in pain.

 _She can't lose him._

Her vision starts to blur again. Elena gets up, startling Damon when she drops his hand on the blanket.

"I'm sorry. I... I'm going to get your uncle Zach."

Before he can form a response, she runs out of the room.

Once the door closes behind her, she hurries to Zach who's looking at her expectantly. "I...," she tries, the words seem to escape her. "He's..."

"Elena, talk to me, what happened?" Zach takes in her pale face, beads of perspiration on her forehead, shaking hands and looks around for help.

"He doesn't remember...," she breathes out and just drops, Zach catching her before she crashes onto the hard floor.

"We need help here!" he calls for a nurse, one who happens to be a friend of Jenna's. After carefully laying her down on one of the couches, he watches for a few moments as the nurse examines her. Seeing he can't be of any assistance, he leaves her momentarily to go into his nephew's room.

* * *

Damon's on pins and needles wondering where she ran off to. He's more awake now but still a little confused about how he got here. The details of his accident are foggy at best, he's not exactly operating on all cylinders yet. Why did she suddenly...

When he sees his uncle, he feels relief and tries to talk to him. "Where did Elena go?"

Tilting his head, Zach immediately knows that Damon's memory is intact. Stalking over to the bedside, he shakes a finger at him. "Elena's being attended to by a nurse. She fainted."

"What?"

"It's obvious you know who your wife is, what the hell were you thinking?" His bluster fades when he sees the incision on Damon's skull.

"It was a stupid joke, I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"You're kidding right?" Zach looks at him like he has four heads. "She was frantic Damon, of all things not to joke about. Unbelievable!"

"Please go get her, I need to tell her I'm okay." He pleads with his still hoarse voice.

"I think that knock on the head made you stupid," he snaps, losing his temper again. Before Damon can retort, his doctor steps in, staring in disbelief.

"I don't know what's going on in here but my patient just had brain surgery."

"Well I think you snipped something you shouldn't have. He's being an idiot."

"I beg your pardon."

"Do you know anything of his history? This is his second knock on the head, the first time he was 17, became psychotic and spent a year in the state mental hospital. Now this idiot under the guise of joking scared his wife half to death."

"Uncle Zach, please just get Elena."

"I repeat, that was a moronic, poorly conceived thing to do."

Raising his hands in surrender, his blood pressure and heart rate monitors starting to alarm when the numbers climb rapidly.

"You need to leave," the doctor says to Zach and urges him out the door.

"Please, send Elena in."

Shaking his head, Zach glares at him one more time then stalks out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him.

* * *

Zach quickly returns to Elena. She's lying on the couch, luckily awake, the nurse turns to him with a nod. "She's going to be alright, it was just too much for her in the moment..."

Zach thanks the woman and sits down, sliding the arm chair next to Elena's head. Seeing her this lost and vulnerable, reminds him of the time all those years ago when she was a teenager, standing on his doorstep with a baby in her arms, eyes wide and grateful he didn't slam the door in her face. Although years have passed and she now has a few grey hairs scattered amongst her dark tresses, his protective instinct for her hasn't diminished at all. She was so strong back then just as she is now.

"Uncle Zach? What are we going to do?" she laments, pushing a strand off hair behind her ear.

"You don't need to worry you pretty little head about that, Damon's okay."

"Damon's okay? You didn't see him, how distant he was, lost, confused, he was even having trouble breathing..."

"Calm down, Elena," he catches her frantically gesturing hand, "he's getting better every minute. And... he does remember you. Everything, I think."

"What?" she can't comprehend what he means. "He... he just..."

"I just came from his room. Come, he wants to see you. Be careful..." He helps her to sit, Elena already leaning on him to stand up when Mellie with Walker on her heels suddenly appear.

"Mom!" she startles as soon as she sees Elena sitting on the couch in a shaken state. "What happened?"

"Nothing Mel, I'm okay, I just got a little lightheaded when I saw your dad. He's awake," she smiles at her daughter. For a second she hesitates but catches Zach's look telling her wordlessly that everything is as it's supposed to be and there's no need to alert anyone else. As always, she follows his lead, trusting him implicitly. "Okay Mel, let's go to see dad."

* * *

"I can't believe you let mom think you didn't know her..." Mellie's outraged when Damon explains he didn't mean to scare them. His eyes shoot to Mellie, but immediately jump back to Elena. "I'm not making excuses, but in my defense, I was barely awake and it sounded funny in my head. I intended to make sure you knew I was kidding but I couldn't fight the fatigue. My eyes started to drop closed again and it's just a jo..." his voice fades, this time it's not from weakness but rather the overwhelming sense of guilt he feels. _It was really the worst idea ever._

Elena thinks he looks like a sad puppy. She's still shaken from the experience, can't believe he'd actually joke about such a thing. But then again... he's Damon, he jokes when he's scared, sad, emotional... all the uncomfortable feelings he has a hard time coming to grips with.

 _And he's alright. He's going to be okay._

She turns to their daughter, who's still sporting a dogged face. "Let's not dwell on it. It's Christmas and we're all together. How often does it happen these days? Focus on that."

 _And Damon's okay._

* * *

"Easy there, Mr. Salvatore," Meredith, his physical therapist cautions as she and Aaron from the mobility team help him to stand up. "No weight bearing on your right leg." Damon bobs his head but doesn't look up, his full concentration on what he's doing and how much it hurts. He's holding onto the walker so tight that his knuckles are white. A sheen of sweat appears on his forehead as they work to get him into a chair. He's barely seated when Elena pokes her head in the room, smiling to see him out of bed.

"This is my wife, Elena," Damon introduces her to Meredith and Aaron.

"How's he doing?" Elena asks, her eyes drifting from Damon to the woman.

"He's doing as well as can be expected. It was a bad break and it'll take time to heal."

Damon's grimace when he shifts slightly doesn't escape Elena's watchful eye. She leans over and presses a kiss to the shaved part of his head.

"Mr. Salvatore, we want you to sit up for hopefully an hour. When you're ready to get back in bed, just put the call light on and the nurse will let us know."

"We will, thank you for your help."

They nod and leave while Elena pulls a chair up and sits beside him, allowing him to take her hand. She's just about to reach for his water pitcher when the voices of their children capture their attention. They pile into the room, Zach plops in a chair, Mellie, Emma and Lily each give their dad a hug. Flynn sits on the bed beside Mellie. Not long after, Uncle Zach, Jenna and Mary Grace join them too. It doesn't take long for his family to start ribbing him about his ill conceived joke.

"You guys are never going to let me forget are you? Don't you think I feel bad enough without all of you incessantly reminding me of my screw up? I've apologized to your mother." He grips Elena's hand even tighter, not willing to let go. Meeting her soft stare, he finds himself mesmerized like always. Her brown-mahogany eyes scintillate with a mischievous glint that shimmers next to the umber that rims her irises. They glow with humor and playfulness that never seem to escape them. Nevertheless, they possess a melancholic veil which tells him she's still not over the scare he gave her but she isn't rubbing his nose in it. _God he loves her so much._

When she smiles at him, the corners of her eyes luster happiness in soft twinkles, which reflect the light that makes her eyes appear copper against caramel revealing pure blissfulness. Having their children all here is the best gift she could ever receive.

Flynn looks at his parents curiously then to his brother and sisters.

"Why are you all mad at dad? I was really scared."

"Someday you'll understand little Flynn," Mellie teases, ruffling his messy black hair.

"Hey!" he sputters making his family laugh. There's such a loud chatter in the room, that they don't notice when Damon's physician, Doctor Maxfield walks in. Clearing his throat, he finally gets their attention as he maneuvers around them to reach Damon.

After Damon introduces him to his family, he looks eagerly at the man. "So Christmas is coming soon. When can I get out of here?"

His eyes drift from Damon to Elena and back. "I'm sorry Damon, you'll be spending Christmas here with us."

"What!?"

"I said you won't be discharged before Christmas."

"Yeah, I heard what you said but all my family is here."

"I'm sorry, Damon but as my patient, I have to do what I think is the best course of action," his eyes drift back Elena's. "I'm sorry Mrs. Salvatore, he's just not ready to go yet."

Patting the top of Damon's hand with her free one, she meets his eyes and gives him a tight smile. "No, don't apologize, we'll do what's best for Damon."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," he says as an afterthought. Pausing in the doorway, he reminds them that they're in a hospital and need to keep the volume down. Then he walks away, pulling the door closed behind him.

"It'll be okay, we'll get a little tree and decorate your room for you." She can see the unmistakable look of melancholy burning in his blue eyes. Not the ordinary sky blue, or the color of paint flaking off an old shed, or even the little flowers that pop up by the side of the road in the spring time. His eyes are blue like the sea, crystal clear blue- shimmering and crashing and churning. Looking into them she can almost hear the waves falling against the shore and foam spraying into the air. Shaking herself out of it, she gives his hand a squeeze when she sees the glint of moisture forming in the inner corners.

"Can you guys leave your dad and I for a minute?"

"Sure mom," Emma replies, urging everyone outside. Elena moves to sit on his arm rest and wraps her arms around his neck. He buries his face against her chest and his arm winds around her waist.

"I'm so sorry, Elena, I'm so, so sorry," he says softly, his heart plummeting into his stomach.

"Damon, you didn't do anything wrong... well aside from...," she teases, smiling when he raises his eyes to hers.

"I love you."

"I love y..." Before she can finish the words, she feels his hot breath on her neck, the tender brush of his lips, burning as they make contact with it. A hand runs through her hair as his kisses become harder and more urgent. A hand runs through my hair, as the kisses become harder and more urgent. His mouth moves from her neck to her shoulders, across her jaw and finally her mouth...

* * *

"Daddy, you can quit pouting any time," Mellie remarks, pausing for a minute to raise an eyebrow at him.

"You don't have to do that?"

"Of course we do, you need a little Christmas too." Without waiting for a response, she starts to assemble the small Christmas tree she bought him. Emma and Lily are stringing some lights around the window.

"Yeah daddy, cheer up," Emma adds, sticking a candy cane in her mouth.

Sighing Damon nods and picks up his burger to take a bite. Apathy washes over him like heavy water, holding him to the ground and only letting a sliver of sunlight in. Under the blue there is nothing else that matters, nothing significant worthy of his time. The sun rises and falls whether he gets to be home or not, days come and go. He knows the feeling will lift when he can go home to his beloved Elena. Then the water will recede allowing his lungs to fill with fresh air. Then he will move fast to make up for such lost time, but in apathy there is time to think...

Repositioning himself, Damon grimaces, it's not his head that hurts, it's his leg. He leans forward to try to readjust his pillow a little when suddenly, Christmas music starts to fill the air. His head snaps up, only to see his three daughters smiling at him. Shaking his head, he drops it back onto the pillow and throws an arm over his eyes.

Mellie starts laughing, she's enjoying his mood a little too much. She's giving him a tiny bit of payback for scaring their mom enough to make her faint. Not willing to give him any quarter she walks to the bedside and pulls his arm away from his face. "You're acting kind of childish don't you think?"

"She's right, you're giving the Grinch a run for his money," Lily adds pointedly, picking up one of the decorated sugar cookies that Elena brought for him.

"I know, I'm sorry, I just hate this. When's your mom coming? She'll make it better, she always does."

"Flynn woke up with a cold so she went to get him some cold medicine. Don't worry, he's fine, it's just a cold."

"Okay, um, would you guys step out for a minute, I have to you know... " he points to his urinal.

"Sure daddy, do you want us to send in the nurse?"

"Yes, please. Tell her I need some pain pills too."

They nod and walk out of the room. Damon sucks in a breath and tries to sit himself up at the side of the bed. Just as he's swinging his good leg over the side the nurse comes in and pushes the door closed behind her.

* * *

Elena's had a busy day with Flynn and then she made some Christmas caramels. When Damon called to check on Flynn, she told him about her day, after which he insisted that she stay home and get a good night's sleep. She isn't going to stay long but she wanted to come after the girls told her of his melancholic mood.

It's not late yet, only about 5 in the afternoon when Elena steps into his room, finding him sound asleep. When she sees him, it's as if space and time become the finest point imaginable, as if time collapses into one tiny speck and explodes at the speed of light. It's as if her universe begins and ends with him as it's always been. She could run forever, search forever, but in the end, every path leads right back to him. Smiling, she walks over to the bedside, leans over and presses the wispiest of kisses to his forehead. It's like a butterfly kiss, so airy that it doesn't wake him. Setting the caramels into the candy bowl, she sits down at his bedside and just watches him sleeping. Content to just be with him for a little while, she pulls out her phone and starts texting with Mellie. When she hears the soft creek of the bed, she looks up.

Damon's cornflower blue eyes open and close from the light of the TV and she sort of smiles. He stares at her in confusion, blinking, his eyelashes brush against her cheek when she comes close to him. She tries to hide her smile and he rolls his eyes and nuzzles into her shoulder, his dark hair inches from her nose. His Damon-like smell is too good for words. After a few minutes, she feels him go limp and she smiles huge, cradling him to her chest.

"I thought I told you to stay home," he says softly, his drug induced fatigue evident in his tone.

"The girls said you were in a, how did they say... Scrooge like mood." She raises an eyebrow at him.

"It's not them, I just want to be home."

"I know Damon, but that's up to your doctor."

"He hasn't been here yet today..." Damon starts just when the object of his ire, Dr. Maxfield walks in, his white coat pristine.

"Elena, Damon, how are you today?" he asks, dropping his face into the chart.

"Come out to the hospital, we'll get together, have a few laughs..." Damon mumbles sarcastically, raising his middle finger, quickly dropping his hand before Wes looks up.

"You're a sourpuss today. Maybe this will cheer you up," he starts, then walks over to pull open the door. Damon's mouth drops when all their children run into the room.

"Surprise daddy," they squeal.

"What's going on?" he asks, his eyes darting from Elena to Dr. Wes, back to her before landing on Mellie who's standing at his bedside, arms crossed.

"What's going on is that you've been pranked! You're coming home for Christmas."

Damon's mouth drops open at the same time his head jerks to Elena. A Cheshire grin spreads over her face telling him that she was in on it. Immediately a smirk breaks out on his face and he starts to laugh. Like ripples in a still pond after a stone has been thrown in, it radiates outwards through the packed room of children who had up until that moment been quite silent. Now they too begin to titter and soon the ripples of laughter became great waves of hilarity.

Without warning, Damon cradles Elena's face with his palms and blurts aloud, "I love you." And then his mouth is on hers. Warmth radiates from the spot where his lips touch, slowly spreading through the rest of her. It's soft and slow and he tastes like December, like hot chocolate on stormy evenings and crisp mountain air.

They part to the sounds of whistles. Elena turns her head to the side to avert her gaze, but the sudden rosiness of her cheeks gives her away. Damon wraps his arm around her and pulls her close. Flynn, wearing a face mask so his dad won't catch his cold, sits on the foot of the bed, earning a smile from his dad.

"You alright buddy?"

"I'm fine dad," he replies, his voice sounding a little nasally.

"Okay," Dr. Wes interrupts. "I'm going to get your discharge papers ready and you can leave in the morning barring anything unforeseen."

Damon fist pumps and as soon as the doctor leaves the room, Zach passes around the plate of cookies and they all sit down to watch a little TV with their dad before leaving for the night.

* * *

Elena's been watching Mellie all day, noticing how she's shifting her position often, rubbing her back, the occasional grimace on her face. The baby isn't due for three weeks and her daughter shouldn't have been traveling given her advanced state of pregnancy. She also knows that neither hell nor high water would have kept her from her father. Grabbing a hand towel, she wipes hers dry and turns to face her daughter.

"Are you having labor pains?"

"No, I'm not due for 3 weeks. My back is just bothering me today."

"Mellie, I have done this rodeo before. I would like you to sit down and rest."

"I'm fine mom, don't worry about me. Walker and I are going home to Coeur d'Alene tomorrow. I have a doctor appointment Thursday."

"If you're fine, you can placate your mother by sitting down and putting your feet up for awhile."

"Mom!"

"Mellie!"

"Fine," she gives up, hangs her towel on the oven handle and leaves the kitchen. Her mother however doesn't believe her, Elena was in denial herself the first time she went into labor. As the afternoon wears on, she continues to keep an eye on her antsy daughter, even clueing Damon in. He was there for the triplets and Flynn's birth but not for Mellie's. Although he's forgiven himself, knowing that there was nothing he could have done, it's still a deep regret.

As soon as Elena finishes the dishes, she joins everyone in the family room. Flynn is sitting on the floor in front of the Christmas tree beside his dad as they work on his Lego set. She smiles, their youngest is so much like Damon, very curious about everything. Emma and Matt are sharing the couch with Lily. Zach and Walker are watching a football game, throwing Christmas candy in their mouths. Mellie is in the recliner with her feet up.

It's Christmas day. The world outside is silent, still and deadly. The ice-cold fangs of Jack Frost bite deep into the flesh and blood of the earth, extracting its life-force till Spring comes around again. Everything is veiled in a layer of candy- like floss of white. Underneath the crackling carpet of snow, the frost is silk-silver, polishing everything like shiny glass. Below the window sill, frost-spikes hang down like a phantom's fingers. It seems to swoop down from the sky with its cold gleam and icy rime.

Stepping back from the window, she glances at the hearth. Their family pictures are all lined up on top of it. Above it, there's a family picture they had taken at Emma and Matt's wedding three years ago. The wood-fire, blazes cheerily in the ample fireplace, sending its warmth and light far out into the room. Flames lick the newspaper in the grate like a hungry kitten. They flicker and lap at the kindling wood, dancing orange and yellow with their smoke that twists in the draft toward the chimney. In minutes they grow ravenous, hungrily devouring everything in the grate. Elena places a couple more logs on it, and is soon hypnotized by their fiery dance.

A little while later, she goes into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee when a shriek sounds out. Running back into the living room her eyes land on Mellie who is standing up, her eyes wide as saucers and her pants wet. Walker is in no better shape, his mouth hanging open, sweat on his forehead. With both on the verge of panic, Elena takes her daughter to change clothes while Damon hobbles to Walker on his crutches.

"How far are the contractions apart?" Elena asks once they reach the bathroom.

"About 10 minutes, I don't know, I haven't been keeping track."

"Let's get some clean clothes on you then we're going to the hospital and there'll be no buts about it." Mellie can tell by the look on her mom's face that this is no time to argue and truthfully she's terrified. Reaching the threshold, she clutches her belly alerting Elena of a contraction.

"Walker, we need to go to the hospital."

He nods, his eyes still wide like he saw an alien, picks her up and carries her outside. "We'll be right behind you in our own car," Elena tells Mellie, kissing her cheek as soon as Walker sets her in the passenger seat.

"Hurry mom."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. You'll be fine." She smiles, watching as Walker backs out of the driveway and down their gravel road.

* * *

Holding the door open for Damon to hobble through on his crutches, Elena follows him inside Mellie's hospital room. Newborn cries fill the air causing Mellie's eyes to gloss over, matching Walker's who's sitting on the bed with his wife, his eyes beaming with pride.

Mellie's voice is thick when she tells her parents that they have a little boy. Hurrying to the bedside, Elena kisses Mellie's head. Through her exhaustion, she cries the sweetest tears she's ever known, all the pain of moments before melt away.

"Hi daddy."

Damon leans over and kisses the crown of her head. "I'm very proud of you little girl."

"I'm kind of proud of me too," she smiles widely at her father. Shifting slightly, Mellie glances at Walker and then hands the baby to Elena. She pulls back his blue blanket and he begins to fret and cry, it's so cute that her own eyes start to water. They're both already in love with this new little person. Once Damon is seated, Elena puts the baby in his arms.

"His name is Damon Zachary," Mellie adds, tilting her head slightly as she looks at her parents.

Damon's eyes immediately mist up and now match Elena's.

"I don't know what to say," Damon blurts out, his eyes dropping to the Christmas baby safely nestled in his arms. Tiny fingers curl around his pinky. He watches the newborn peer through brand new eyes at what must be such a strange world after life in the womb. His legs kick in a tiny jagged motion, looking for that resistance they are used but finding nothing but air. He wonders if that's unsettling or a relief, it must have been pretty cramped in his mother's belly. When he stretches, his hands barely rise above his head. "Happy Birthday Damon," he whispers, kissing the baby's forehead, his heart filling with love when Elena pets his downy black hair.

"What do you think Grandpa and Grandma?" Mellie asks, literally beaming at her parents.

Elena moves behind her husband, her hands on his shoulders. Damon looks up at his wife and then to his daughter, his smile matching her own. "Nothing sounds better in the world."

* * *

 _We hope you enjoyed the final glimpse at this version of Damon and Elena. Let us know what you think._

 _Thank you all so much, we are extremely grateful to all of you for making our Fanfiction experience so exciting._

 _Thank you Eva for everything._

 _I did post a one shot yesterday, "Put Your Head On My Shoulder". DE are 13 and their school's Christmas dance is coming._

 _WTTJ 42 is written, it just needs a little polish so it's coming, hopefully tomorrow._

 _Have a safe and wonderful day. Thank you all again, you are the best._


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